Shifting Basic Guitar Chords
When we talk about shifting guitar chords, we all mean the same thing, namely barre or CAGED chords. This is not wrong, but very correct.
But what if we take regular guitar chords, like C major or A minor, and shift them?
Formula
As always and everywhere, you should first know the corresponding formula. This includes the intervals that belong to this chord, as well as the degree of the chord. For example, a C major chord, which is the tonic (I degree), cannot be treated the same as when the C major chord is on the V degree (F major key).
The intervals, which I have written down about a million times here, can otherwise be found on this page -> Scales, Chords and Arpeggios for Guitar under Arpeggios and Tensions and the steps under -> Roman numeral analysis.
Example with C Major Chord
The C major chord looks something like this (or even exactly like this):
As it should be, this triad contains the root, the third, and the fifth. Sometimes even multiple times (2x root and 2x the third).
If I now simply move my fingers up one fret, the root is no longer C, but C# (or Db).
The intervals also change a bit, namely we now have: 1, b3, 3, #4 (or b5).
Okay, yes, there are nicer ones.
But you could also see the current b5 as the root. Then we would have something like a minor7b5 with a 13 (6) and without a third.
Okay, the next one. We move the C chord up one more fret. Considering the note D as the root, we would have something like a Dsus4 with a 9 (2), or Dsus2 with an 11 (4). The 11th note is not necessarily a tension, rather #11 would be appropriate here, so I would rather consider this chord as a Dsus4(9).
Now it can also be distinguished from which root we consider the chord. We stay with the exact same chord, but now see the open G string as the root.
Here we would have something like G Major 7 without a third but with a 13. A bit harder to hear this as a G, without context, but doable.
Basic Chords
The basic chords, open string chords, cowboy chords, or simply chords that have ringing open strings are the following:
Of course, the same can also be done with four-note chords:
Open String Chords Four-Note Chords (7th Chords)
But also power chords with open strings work great. Here you can try different open strings yourself. Some sound better and some sound worse.
I have recorded a few of my all-time favorites here. To avoid confusion regarding communication, here is a brief explanation again. A normal C chord (as written here as the first diagram), I now simply call it in the 3rd fret, because the lowest note (that I press and play) is in the 3rd fret. If I now move it up to the 5th fret, I mean that the ring finger is in the 5th fret, the middle finger in the 4th, and the index finger in the 3rd fret. So I am now generally speaking of the lowest played note in the chord.
Open String Chord C -> 3rd fret (Original), 5th fret, 10th fret.
Open String Chord E -> 2nd fret (Original), 4th fret, 5th fret, 7th fret.
Open String Chord E -> 2nd fret (Original), 3rd fret.
Power Chord D+G String -> 2nd fret, 4th fret, 5th fret, 7th fret, 9th fret.
